The dilemma
By Thursday the room forgets what Monday agreed.
A slide gets rewritten.
Someone new joins the thread and asks why that path.
Silence. Files lost, context gone, time gone.
Quinn has seen this too often: work slows not because people disagree, but because nobody remembers the last yes.
She decides to build a shelf for decisions—a calm place where every call can be found, checked, and renewed.
The Decision Shelf in practice
It isn’t a dashboard. It’s a library.
Each card holds one call: what was chosen, why, by whom, and when it expires.
Each card includes
- Title – the decision in plain words.
- Owner – the one name accountable.
- Why now – the trigger that forced the choice.
- Options – what was on the table, with proof links.
- Chosen path – the answer and acceptance criteria.
- Evidence – receipts, tests, numbers.
- Timer – next review date.
- Status – active, paused, retired.
- Version – so history is a trail, not a guess.
Cards speak the way teams do—simple, exact, current.
The rhythm
Propose. Draft a card when a real call emerges. Name the owner and set a timer.
Commit. In the room, pick the path and record acceptance criteria.
Run. Operate to that call and attach receipts as you go.
Review. On the date, renew, amend, or retire.
Retire. Archive with proof so the lesson stays visible.
Decisions become living records, not fossils.
What changes in the room
The shelf sits open beside the agenda.
No one argues from memory.
If a topic has a card, the conversation starts from facts.
If it doesn’t, someone writes one before talking.
The shelf makes meetings shorter and confidence stronger.
Signals to watch
- Shelf coverage: how many cross-team calls have a card (aim 95%+).
- On-time reviews: cards renewed before expiry (90%+).
- Relitigation rate: calls reopened without new evidence (trend to zero).
- Decision velocity: time from draft to commit.
- Outcome alignment: percent meeting acceptance criteria at review.
Example cards
Defer Q4 launch
Owner: Ops Lead | Why now: capacity over limit.
Options: ship now / defer / split scope.
Chosen: defer with customer plan.
Evidence: capacity receipts + forecast.
Timer: 30 days. Status: active. Version 1.
Switch auth vendor
Owner: Platform Lead | Why now: error rate breaching target.
Options: patch / migrate / hybrid.
Chosen: migrate. Evidence: Interface Ledger data + integration tests.
Timer: 60 days. Status: active. Version 2 (rollback added).
Leadership takeaways
- Decide once and record once.
- Every call needs an owner and a timer.
- Version changes so the story stays clean.
- Proof ends opinion.
The shelf turns “we thought” into “we know.”
Start this week (30 minutes)
- Create the page titled Decision Shelf.
- Add three current calls as cards.
- Set review dates and owners.
- Link evidence.
- Publish the top five active calls where everyone can see them.
Operating principles
Record the why.
Name the owner.
Set the timer.
Show the proof.
Cheat sheet (print and tape up)
Owner • Why • Options • Choice • Evidence • Timer • Status • Version
Decisions that stay decided.
Quinn’s note to operators: If a decision isn’t written down, it’s already slipping.
Next episode (32): Single-Path Escalation
How Quinn keeps issues moving fast through one door, one owner, one clock.
